TFEDLAM 73

Chapter 73

“I’m withdrawing at the last minute—who’s going to fill in? It’s easy enough to find a capable singer with some reputation, but a truly strong composer and arranger isn’t easy to come by.”

Lu Tingchuan smiled slightly. “Chu Xun! He studied composition and arrangement. When he went to the U.S. for further training, arrangement was his main focus. He originally wanted to appear on this show as an arranger anyway—it’s just that his identity as a singer is too dazzling. The production team preferred him to come on as a singer. After all, he’s a Heavenly King-level star, you know how it is.”

Xia Shi understood immediately. With the arranger issue solved, finding a singer would be much easier. Qin Tang had signed artists under her company, and with Chu Xun and Lu Tingchuan’s connections in the industry, it wouldn’t be hard to get someone to help out. Especially since I Am a Singer King was doing well in ratings and reputation—plenty of people were eager to get on the show.

“So you’d already planned all this?” she asked. “When? And Chu Xun agreed?”

They’d only just had the incident, and she’d only just been confirmed pregnant. There was no way everything had been settled so perfectly in less than 24 hours—it had to have been prepared in advance.

“We’re planning to have a little princess,” Lu Tingchuan said calmly. “So of course I have to consider everything. I Am a Singer King still has two months left. What if you got pregnant during these two months? I had to plan ahead. As for Chu Xun—letting him get what he wants isn’t hard. Even if he didn’t want to, he’d have to agree. Consider it compensation for the mess he caused with Yin Ru.”

Xia Shi burst out laughing. Every time Lu Tingchuan talked about Chu Xun, he looked so unhappy.

Yu Shuo couldn’t stand the way the couple kept whispering intimately, as if no one else existed. He cut in, “I’ve already spoken to your training team. It’s been temporarily suspended. Fortunately, you’ve acted in martial arts films before and even played a Wing Chun grandmaster, so you have a foundation. There’s still plenty of time before filming starts—no big deal. The director didn’t say anything either. But the Baby, Where Are We Going? production team contacted me to ask about your condition.”

Because of Lu Tingchuan’s injury, Baby, Where Are We Going? had already stopped recording for two weeks—more than generous enough. They only had one trip’s worth of footage left for editing, and inventory was running low. Recording couldn’t be delayed any longer.

“They want to know whether you can participate in this week’s episode. If not, whether Xuanxuan could go instead.”

Xia Shi jumped up. “Xuanxuan going alone?”

Yu Shuo nodded. “Not completely alone—just without his parents. The production team is all familiar faces. And hasn’t Ye Zheng had a relationship with your family for years? Last time, Ye Zheng had to accompany Fangfang to a children’s calligraphy competition, so he didn’t go, and Yuanyuan was taken care of by Tingchuan. This time, Xuanxuan could be accompanied by Ye Zheng.”

Xia Shi frowned. Lu Tingchuan thought for a moment. “My injury still needs to be assessed over the next few days. I can’t make a decision right now. As for Xuanxuan, we’ll ask for his opinion.”

Yu Shuo understood their parenting style—they never made decisions for the child without asking. He stood up. “Alright then. We’ll head out and stop interrupting you two lovebirds.”

The last sentence was said with a strange tone, but Lu Tingchuan didn’t mind.

Just before leaving, Yu Shuo turned back and reminded them, “The fans online are really anxious right now. If nothing’s wrong, remember to post a Weibo to let everyone know you’re safe.”

Weibo

Xia Shi V:
Thank you all for your concern. I’m fine, Tingchuan is fine, the child is fine—we’re all fine. [Photo]

The photo showed Lu Tingchuan and Xia Shi sitting on the hospital bed in patient gowns. Lu Tingchuan had one arm around Xia Shi, his hand resting on her abdomen.

Fans who hadn’t slept all night, anxiously refreshing their feeds, froze for half a second when the post appeared—then burst into tears of joy.

“Great news! Both male and female idols are fine! I cried instantly! My heart’s been clenched all night—I thought I was going to have a heart attack!”

“Crying +1. Thank goodness everyone’s safe! But look at the thick bandage on male idol’s arm—is he really okay?”

“He should be fine. His complexion looks good, and both of them are smiling happily. Doesn’t seem like a serious injury.”

“As long as there’s no big problem! I was terrified all night.”

“Wait! I just noticed something! What does ‘the child is fine’ mean? ‘We’re all fine’? Is there a baby?! Our… our little princess is coming?!”

“You’re overthinking it! You just want a little princess too badly! They probably mean Xuanxuan!”

“Nonsense! Didn’t the media already say male idol specially had Professor Lu pick Xuanxuan up from kindergarten last night and stay at grandpa’s place?”

“Oh right… We were so nervous about the accident that we forgot about that. Male idol specifically arranged for Xuanxuan to stay with his dad—did he know something was going to happen? Was this coordinated with the police?”

“Do you think you’re a screenwriter?! Stop changing the topic! Xuanxuan was fine and not involved—everyone knows that. So the ‘child’ goddess mentioned probably isn’t Xuanxuan.”

“Zoom in on the photo! Look carefully! Isn’t male idol’s hand on goddess’s belly? And those satisfied, joyful smiles—what more do you need!”

“(⊙o⊙)! My mind is blown! Goddess isn’t just reporting safety—she’s announcing good news!”

Just as people were lining up in the comments demanding confirmation, another Weibo refreshed.

Lu Tingchuan V:
Not necessarily a little princess—it could also be a little prince. [Photo]

This photo was even more explosive. If the previous one was understated and restrained—very much Xia Shi’s style—this one was pure Lu Tingchuan: showing affection without warning.

In the photo, Xia Shi sat on the bed while Lu Tingchuan lay sideways, both arms around her waist, his head resting on her abdomen, eyes closed, expression focused, as if listening to the baby’s heartbeat. The setting sun cast a warm glow; green trees stood outside the window. Their smiles were gentle and filled with anticipation.

The sweetness practically overflowed the screen, as if sugar were dissolving in the air—you could almost smell it through the phone.

It was so beautiful it resembled a painting, bringing to mind a line from Xi Murong’s poetry:

The sky is so blue, the trees so green—
Life can be this peaceful and beautiful.